Reason #88
I have been out of town for work this week. Anyone who travels for work knows that it is near impossible to be healthy when you're away from home. I have hardly slept, worked too many hours, not gotten a bit of exercise, and have had a carb, sugar, grease fest. Seriously, I have eaten like food is going out of style. I have stuffed my face with donuts, burgers, french fries, fried chicken, cheesy enchiladas, pizza, chinese food, and just when I thought I couldn't eat another bite, someone handed me freshly baked cookies.
I like to make excuses. I tell myself, "It's okay to be a glutton this week. You're out of town. You'll get back on track when you get home." And when I'm home I say, "It's okay that you don't go to the gym today. You're tired and you've had a long day. Just stay home and rest." I stay up late every night and I tell myself, "It's okay to stay up late. You have a lot to get accomplished. You can catch up on rest this weekend." Of course, had I productively used my time while not being at the gym, I probably wouldn't have to stay up late. I'm sure I have an excuse for why I do that, too.
Excuses are human nature. That's an excuse, too. But we make excuses for our behavior, our choices...all backed by "good excuses", and I'm sure they are very reasonable, at least to the excuse maker they are. We weave our logic into the excuses so that way, we don't have to take responsibility for our actions. But then we run out of excuses, have to face reality, and we aren't very happy with what we've done. Great example, I had chinese food for dinner tonight. I stood in line staring at the options and I saw vegtables, grilled chicken, brown rice... good, healthy, choices. So I had the server make me a huge bowl of fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, some other chicken thing that was delicious and I topped it off with an egg roll. Remember my food list from above? The last thing I needed was a gigantic bowl of chinese food. My excuse, and it is logical I might add, is that I won't eat like this after tomorrow when I get home. Now, I don't have to feel bad about consuming a week's worth of calories in one meal (which, deep down, I do feel bad about). But the excuses haven't stopped my stomach from expanding, my waitband from digging into my sides, and the calories from sticking to my hips. No amount of excuses will change that truth, and truthfully, I now wish I would have chosen the grilled chicken and vegtables. Too late.
And I see how often I do this in my walk with the Lord. I'm too tired... I'm too busy... I'll do that when I have more time... I don't feel equipped... I am too scared...I am unsure...excuese, excuses, excuses. And you know we can always come up with a good excuse for sin, can't we? Ultimately, aren't we disobeying Him when we make excuses that keep us from doing what He asks? Aren't we telling Him that our decisions, our will, our desires are more important than His? Are we so brave as to tell the Lord that our ways our better, our knowledge is greater? Maybe, we think that making excuses will relieve us from any responsibility and if we can get a few people to nod in agreement with our choices, surely we're doing the right thing. Maybe, if we use enough logic, He won't see through the excuses. Maybe, just maybe, our excuses can change His truth.
But it sure is hard to out-smart on all-knowing, all-seeing God. So I praise Him that He doesn't let me get away with my excuses. I am thankful that my excuses don't change His truth, rather, His truth abolishes all excuses and sheds light on my situation. And as difficult as it is to stand before Him when I've run out of excuses and don't like the results of the reality I've brought about, He is so quick to forgive me, dust me off and set my feet back on the right path.
#88 - Because He loves me too much to let me excuse myself out of His truth.
"And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives." - 1 John 2:28 (The Message)
I like to make excuses. I tell myself, "It's okay to be a glutton this week. You're out of town. You'll get back on track when you get home." And when I'm home I say, "It's okay that you don't go to the gym today. You're tired and you've had a long day. Just stay home and rest." I stay up late every night and I tell myself, "It's okay to stay up late. You have a lot to get accomplished. You can catch up on rest this weekend." Of course, had I productively used my time while not being at the gym, I probably wouldn't have to stay up late. I'm sure I have an excuse for why I do that, too.
Excuses are human nature. That's an excuse, too. But we make excuses for our behavior, our choices...all backed by "good excuses", and I'm sure they are very reasonable, at least to the excuse maker they are. We weave our logic into the excuses so that way, we don't have to take responsibility for our actions. But then we run out of excuses, have to face reality, and we aren't very happy with what we've done. Great example, I had chinese food for dinner tonight. I stood in line staring at the options and I saw vegtables, grilled chicken, brown rice... good, healthy, choices. So I had the server make me a huge bowl of fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, some other chicken thing that was delicious and I topped it off with an egg roll. Remember my food list from above? The last thing I needed was a gigantic bowl of chinese food. My excuse, and it is logical I might add, is that I won't eat like this after tomorrow when I get home. Now, I don't have to feel bad about consuming a week's worth of calories in one meal (which, deep down, I do feel bad about). But the excuses haven't stopped my stomach from expanding, my waitband from digging into my sides, and the calories from sticking to my hips. No amount of excuses will change that truth, and truthfully, I now wish I would have chosen the grilled chicken and vegtables. Too late.
And I see how often I do this in my walk with the Lord. I'm too tired... I'm too busy... I'll do that when I have more time... I don't feel equipped... I am too scared...I am unsure...excuese, excuses, excuses. And you know we can always come up with a good excuse for sin, can't we? Ultimately, aren't we disobeying Him when we make excuses that keep us from doing what He asks? Aren't we telling Him that our decisions, our will, our desires are more important than His? Are we so brave as to tell the Lord that our ways our better, our knowledge is greater? Maybe, we think that making excuses will relieve us from any responsibility and if we can get a few people to nod in agreement with our choices, surely we're doing the right thing. Maybe, if we use enough logic, He won't see through the excuses. Maybe, just maybe, our excuses can change His truth.
But it sure is hard to out-smart on all-knowing, all-seeing God. So I praise Him that He doesn't let me get away with my excuses. I am thankful that my excuses don't change His truth, rather, His truth abolishes all excuses and sheds light on my situation. And as difficult as it is to stand before Him when I've run out of excuses and don't like the results of the reality I've brought about, He is so quick to forgive me, dust me off and set my feet back on the right path.
#88 - Because He loves me too much to let me excuse myself out of His truth.
"And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives." - 1 John 2:28 (The Message)
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